


From Grinches to Elves

by irishgirl321



Series: Avengers Escapades [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Awesome Clint Barton, Christmas Fluff, Christmas with the Avengers, F/M, Fluff, Santa Clint, The Avengers Are Good Bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 23:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13134477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishgirl321/pseuds/irishgirl321
Summary: For the first time, you find yourself having some sort of family for the holiday season. You're eager to celebrate Christmas, but unfortunately they don't tend to get into the festive spirit. What happens when they see just how much it means to you?





	From Grinches to Elves

**Author's Note:**

> An Avengers X Reader tale, though it indeed has some strong Clint Barton X Reader elements to it. Sorry, couldn't help myself!
> 
> No Loki or Bucky etc, I'm sorry but I just wanted the original MCU 6. If I try include everyone writing would take years.
> 
> Just a little corny holiday fic I wanted to do! Feeling Christmassy, and happy holidays to you all!
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes, when I started writing the ending I was a few G&Ts into celebrating!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the stuff Marvel owns.
> 
> Also once more, the Avengers' Eacapes series follows no particular order, and the stories aren't connected so don't worry about that.

“So, what do you guys do for Christmas here?” you had asked eagerly, staring at Tony in excitement.

It was Christmas Eve, and you wanted to be sure that you knew what you were in for tomorrow. The tree hadn’t been put up yet, and there were no decorations, but maybe they were waiting until everyone was there to do that? Or maybe they did it Christmas morning?

After years of having no family to share the holidays with, you had finally found one. Your first Christmas as an Avenger was an exciting prospect, one you were really looking forward to. You had put so much effort into your gift list and had all of the presents bought. You had tried so hard to get everyone something they’d like, and were really proud of your choices.

You wanted it to be perfect. This new family you had found on your own, and you loved them (as dysfunctional as they may be at times). Years of sitting in your run-down apartment alone eating store bought mac and cheese had put a deep-seated longing for the perfect Christmas day surrounded by loved ones inside you.

That was why your heart sank when the billionaire had simply just shrugged.

“Nothing. We don’t do presents or anything. Just sit around and watch TV.”

“Oh,” you said as you tried to mask your disappointment. “Well, do you put up a Christmas tree or have dinner?”

“Nope, we just heat up some microwavable food. I don’t think anyone is really in the mood to be festive, except for Thor but he doesn’t really know the tradition.”

You nodded silently, feeling the smile drop from your face. “Oh.”

“Did you want to celebrate?” Tony asked in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

You were in the living room in the Tower, him behind the bar pouring you both a drink and you were sitting on a stool at the other side of the bar counter. Bruce was engrossed in a book, lying across the sofa behind you. Clint was sitting on the step across the room, humming to himself as he cleaned his bow. He didn’t appear to be listening either. You weren’t sure where the others were.

“No,” you managed to smile, not wanting to seem too upset. “I was just wondering.”

Tony nodded hesitantly, but there was a slight frown on his face. He seemed unsure whether or not to believe you. You didn’t like the scrutiny, so instead you slid off the bar stool.

“I think I’m going to go back to my room,” you told him.

“Why? Don’t you want that drink?”

“Maybe another time. I’ve a bit of a headache. Sorry,” you lied.

You didn’t want to appear glum in front of them. Plastering a smile on your face, you waved goodbye as you crossed the room and started up the steps past Clint. He raised his head as you moved beside him, eyes boring into yours.

He had a habit of seeing right through you, and you could definitely see why he was called Hawkeye. Though you knew he could tell your expression was fake, you smiled a bit wider and reached out to ruffle his hair as you passed. He knocked your hand away and grinned slightly, but you were gone before he could say anything else.

You walked down the corridor, slowly making your way to your room. You felt your feet drag slightly on the ground and internally berated yourself. You shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up. With all the horrors they’d all experienced throughout their lives, it was understandable that they couldn’t get into the Christmas spirit. Part of you debated decorating the place while the rest were sleeping in an attempt to boost morale, but you didn’t want to force them to celebrate if they weren’t keen on it.

Kicking open the door to your room, you sighed. Your gaze fell to all the wrapped presents in the corner, and you ran a hand through your hair in agitation. It wasn’t going to be fun, going around and returning all of them over the next few days. Maybe you could just keep them for birthdays. If they celebrated birthdays.

It just sucked. You’d gotten so excited and put so much effort into it all.

You’d gotten Steve a record player and some vinyl’s to go with it. It had took a long time to find, but it was the only thing you could think of that he would really love. He had missed his dance with Peggy, something you knew still somewhat affected him to this day. You weren’t sure if he’d say yes or no, but when you gave it to him you were going to ask him to dance in the hopes it would somehow help with the sadness. You knew he still didn’t really know how.

You’d bought Bruce a mound of science books. He had been on his laptop a few weeks ago, looking through the Amazon Black Friday sale and you had seen him add them to his cart. However, after opening his bank account on another tab, he had sighed and deleted the Amazon window. As a joke you had also bought a kilogram of camomile tea (said to help relaxation). You’d also stuffed in a voucher for a relaxing massage, another small joke. You hoped he’d appreciate the humour, and not get offended.

You had bought Thor his own iPad, as he’d broken a few of Tony’s Stark Industries electronic tablets while trying to download games off the app store. You weren’t 100% sure Tony’s tablet could even download things off the app store as it seemed to be used for more sciencey business, but Thor sure had tried. It was probably your fault for letting him play games on your phone in the first place. You’d already put on his favourites, Doodle Jump, Fruit Ninja, and Candy Crush. You weren’t exactly sure how he’d charge it in Asgard, but then figured he could control lightning, which was electricity so maybe he’d be able to power it himself.

For Natasha, you had gotten a load of jewellery and make-up, all cruelty-free. For someone who had no qualms about killing people if she had to, she was remarkably against animal experimentation. You could appreciate that though. The make-up you had gotten from a popular online site that made make-up based on fairy tales. You’d bought her brushes that looked like the roses from ‘Beauty and the beast,’ a story that she’d loved, among other things. You also got a locket, and put in a small, folded picture of you, her and Clint. Her two best friends, as she often said.

Clint you had been unsure about to start with. The archer wasn’t really one for expensive things, so you bought a hamper and filled it up with smaller presents that you thought he’d get a kick out of. You bought him more of those jokey slogan mugs he loved. One of them was completely blank, except for crooked writing that said ‘this is going to look shit next to your other mugs’ and another that said ‘Bah Hum Mug.’ You had also bought him the ‘Friends’ box set (he had become obsessed with it after sitting down with you as you watched it one day), the three ‘Lord of the Rings’ books (as he loved the movies but recently admitted he’d never read the books), and finally a bracelet for him and a matching collar for his dog Lucky. Out of all, he was probably the one you had the most fun shopping for.

You had had no idea what to get Tony. After all, what do you get the man that can buy anything he wanted? That had been a difficult one, one you had pondered over for a while. However, a few weeks ago you had a muscle ache in your back that wouldn’t go away. You’d asked everyone if they had any DeepHeat to help with the pain, and Tony had responded that he did. You’d followed him into his room as he went to retrieve it from his bedside cabinet, and noticed just how bare his walls were. There were no pictures of family or friends.

A thought popped into your head, so the next day you went out and bought a large, blank canvas. Sneaking into the lab, you printed out a number of pictures of him and the team, him and yourself, him and Happy and Rhodey. You debated including Pepper, but their break up a few months ago had been messy and you didn’t want your gift to make him sad so you left her out. Then you retreated to your room, took the gluestick and scissors you had bought at the craft store out of your handbag and got to work. You were extremely happy with the result, a bright collage of various images of Tony laughing, drinking, and chatting with his friends.

In the centre you had included your favourite picture of the two of you, the one where you were standing on the balcony of the tower, champagne glasses in hand, smiling at each other with the New York skyline behind you. It had been taken by Steve without your knowledge, who for the first time was able to take an actual, non-blurry photo.

You had definitely put a lot of effort into your gifts, and it was sorely disappointing they would not be appreciated. Yes, you could just give them out anyhow but that may make the others feel bad that they hadn’t gotten you anything.

You sighed, and lay down on your bed. All in all, you were pretty tired and didn’t really want to do anything else tonight. Picking up the remote, you turned on the flatscreen TV on the wall across from your bed and propped some pillows behind you. Though you would only be torturing yourself by watching a Christmas movie, you decided  _‘what the heck’_  and did so anyhow. Might as well do something festive.

 

***

 

Clint had listened to the sound of your footsteps fading down the hall until he knew for certain you were gone. It was only then he turned and gave Tony an exasperated look.

_Seriously?_

“What?” Stark’s face had wrinkled in confusion. “What did I do?”

“She wants to celebrate Christmas ,” Clint told him, wondering if he was the only one with eyes around here. “Could you not tell?”

“I asked and she said she didn’t!” Tony defended himself. “I’m not a mind-reader.”

“Didn’t take much mind-reading to see,” Clint retorted. “Did you not see how her face dropped?”

Tony grimaced. “Well, what exactly are we meant to do now? We never celebrate! It’s…” he checked his watch. “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, and we don’t have anything. No presents, no decorations, no tree, and no turkey. We can’t get all that in like three hours.”

Clint put his bow gently down on the step and then stood up. He stared at Tony, arching a brow. “We can try.”

Tony snorted. “Don’t be unrealistic, Hawk.”

“You know she’s already got you a present,” Clint stated, growing more annoyed. “She put a lot of effort into it. I saw her in the lab working on it. She didn’t know I was there. I’ve seen her sneaking in and out of the building with shopping bags over the last few weeks. She’s gotten us all something.”

Bruce closed his book, shoving his glasses further up onto his face. “She has?”

“Yeah,” Clint said. “I can’t be the only one who noticed. I got her some stuff too, since I knew she wanted to do gift-giving this year… Seriously? I can’t be the only one who realised?”

“What’s going on? What didn’t we realise?” Natasha’s voice rang out as she strode into the room.

Her heels clicked on the hard flooring and she flashed Clint a grin. He smiled back at her, knowing she would be an ally as soon as she found out about you wanting to do Christmas. Steve followed her in, unwrapping a scarf from his neck. His cheeks were slightly flushed with cold.

“______ wanted to celebrate Christmas. She got us all gifts,” Clint told them.

“Yeah, I knew that,” Natasha answered smoothly. “She’s been playing Christmas songs in her car since mid-November. It’d be annoying if it wasn’t so endearing. I’ve been gathering her presents for like that last month now. Had to wait for those Valentinos she had been lusting after to come back in stock.”

“Okay, well, Clint is a stalker and Natasha’s her best friend,” Tony said. “That doesn’t prove that I should have known.”

“I got her something,” Steve piped up.

Tony gave the super-soldier a look that said he wanted to punch him.

“She’s been really great the past while,” the Captain continued, looking at his feet. “Helping me with… stuff. I got it more as a ‘thank you,’ though. I didn’t know we were doing Christmas this year.”

“We weren’t,” Tony reminded him.

Clint rolled his eyes and Natasha made a face. Bruce, however, looked troubled. He put down his book and stood up from the sofa, reaching over to the armchair beside him to grab his coat. He pulled on his jacket and knelt down to retie his shoelaces.

“And where are you going?” Tony asked.

“I’ve been so caught up in work, I didn’t realise,” Bruce said. It was obvious by the red colour of his face that he was embarrassed. “I feel like an ass now. I’ve got to go get her something. Tony, are you coming?”

Everyone looked at Tony. For a second he didn’t respond. Then, he groaned and held his hands up in defeat. “Yeah. I will. And for the record, I’m doing this for _____, not for any of the rest of you smug bastards. I maintain that someone should have told me.”

The ‘smug bastards’ part was namely aimed at Natasha, who was smirking widely. It was not often that Tony Stark, being a genius and all, was wrong about anything. He was even less likely to admit he had been wrong. The way he wasn’t refusing to do anything showed that you obviously meant a lot to him.

“Hang on,” Clint held out his hands, striding into the centre of the room. His voice was filled with an air of something they didn’t usually hear from him. Authority. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it properly. Now, who are we missing?”

“Thor,” Steve said straight away.

“Right, do we have any way of getting through to him?”

“He doesn’t have a phone.”

Clint scratched his cheek, thinking hard. “I don’t know, isn’t he like a Norse god or something? Do we, like, pray to him? Would he hear us then?”

Natasha snorted. Clint’s ears became tinged with red as he ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Okay, ignore that,” he continued. “Anyone else have any ideas on how to reach him?”

No one did, so they figured they’d just have to catch him when he arrived tonight and tell him to bring you a gift.

“To be fair,” Tony interjected, “he’ll probably just zip back up to Asgard and grab her some fancy jewellery that’s worth more than the price of all of our kidneys combined.”

“Nice, Stark,” Steve commented sarcastically.

“Weirdly put, but probably true,” Clint agreed. “Okay, so we need an action plan here. Tony and Bruce, you both haven’t got her anything. Your main focus is to just go out and buy her a gift you think she’ll like. Put some thought into it, Stark.”

Tony’s mouth dropped open, and he looked extremely offended. “Are you saying I’m not considerate?”

“I’m saying that expensive jewellery is all well and good, but think about _____. Think about what she likes. Try make it personal. I know she did that for all of us.”

“You didn’t need to tell me, but whatever. I hear you,” Tony said, still slightly grumpy.

“Natasha, Steve and myself will take care of everything else,” Clint continued. “We need to split up if we’re going to make this happen. Steve, you go get Christmas decorations. Anything festive, don’t be afraid to go over the top. If someone tells you tinsel isn’t in fashion this year, punch them in the face.”

Everyone stared at Clint in confusion.

“People have been saying that,” he clarified. “I don’t like it. Moving on. Natasha, you go get the turkey and the rest of the groceries. Potatoes, peas, carrots, gravy. Ham too if you can. And don’t forget the desserts.”

“Sending the women out to do the food shopping?” she asked lightly, though her eyes held a dangerous glint.

Clint winced. “No, nothing like that. There’s gonna be a lot of last minute panic in those stores. People are going to be pushing and shoving. There may even be war over who gets the turkeys if many people left it until the last minute. Steve would be mobbed by fans if he went, and people are less likely to start a fight with you than me. Simply put, you’re terrifying.”

“Thank you,” Natasha smiled, looking incredibly pleased at his words.

“I’ll get the tree,” Clint finished decisively. “My car is the only one really big enough to bring it back. No, Stark, I’m not taking the Quinjet to get the tree.” Tony looked slightly crestfallen. Everyone nodded in agreement. “Everyone know what they gotta do? Alright, everybody roll out!”

 

***

 

You finished the movie, and decided you were kind of hungry. When you wandered out of your room and back towards the living room, it was entirely deserted. The lights were still on, but it was cold. That meant that the room had been unoccupied for a while. You called out, wandering down the corridors and knocking on the doors to everyone’s room.

There was no answer from anyone.

You returned to the living room and sat sadly on the sofa, pulling a blanket up to your chin and hugging your knees.  _Had… had they all gone out without you?_  It seemed to be the most likely option. Usually  _someone_ would be around. It was rare everyone was gone at once.

Your head drooped slightly with sadness as you looked around the quiet room. Indeed, you’d only been an Avenger for the past eight months, but you really thought that they had accepted you as one of their group. If they had gone out on Christmas Eve without you, it just showed that you had been wrong. Feeling entirely alone and unwanted, you felt tears beginning to well up in your eyes.

“______?” A voice called behind you.

You turned around to see Thor stepping inside. You’d been so wrapped up in your misery you hadn’t noticed him landing on the balcony.

“Oh. Hi,” you said.

You could hear the audible sadness in your voice. Thor’s usually happy face twisted in concern. He approached you, and sat down on the sofa beside you. His warm hand touched your face, forcing you to look into his bright blue eyes.

“What’s the matter, fair one?” he asked. “Where are all the others?”

“I, um, think they went out,” you murmured, averting your gaze.

“And you didn’t go?”

You shrugged. “I didn’t know they were leaving.”

“Hmmm,” his mouth turned down. He looked displeased. “That’s not exactly fair. Did something happen?”

“Not really, I just didn’t know we weren’t celebrating Christmas. I don’t know if that annoyed them or something…”

“I do not see why it would.”

“Me neither,” you sighed. “Me neither.”

“And what do you mean ‘celebrating Christmas?’ Every year we sit together and watch action movies. Is that not celebrating it?”

“Not exactly,” you said, and began to explain it to him.

When you were finished, he nodded slowly. A lot of people made out that Thor was not exactly the most intelligent, but you had always found him very bright. He was intuitive, and understood what you were feeling immediately. “And you were excited to do this.”

“Yeah… It’s just… I had such a rough childhood, you know? Then I found you guys. I’d watched so many Christmas movies over the years I was just excited to try it out. To have a family.”

“Did you buy us presents?”

You hesitated, but then nodded.

“Did you.. did you buy me something?”

You bit your lip, but dipped your head again. The only reason you were hesitant to confirm was because you felt bad admitting it. You didn’t want him to feel obligated or embarrassed that he hadn’t actually gotten you anything.

“That is nice of you,” he smiled, “as I also brought a gift for you also. I knew somewhat of Christmas traditions before as I watched ‘Elf’ with Jane once, you know, before we broke up. I did not know the extent of the tradition, but I knew about the presents.”

“You did?” You felt a small smile creeping across your face.

“Yes, but do not look so eager. You do not get it until tomorrow.”

“I’m okay with that,” you grinned.

Moving closer, you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly. Your voice was muffled by his broad chest as you thanked him quietly, filled with emotion. His pleased chuckled rumbled through his body, and after a few minutes you disentangled yourself from him and sat back on the sofa.

He regarded you warmly. A few moments later, his eyes lit up as an idea came into his mind.

“Have you ever been flying?”

“You mean like, on a plane?”

“No,” his grin grew wide. “With me.”

“I don’t think I have…” you trailed off, realising where he was going with this.

He extended a hand, giving you a reassuring look. Nervously, you took it. Your heart was beginning to thump with a mixture of nerves and excitement. He guided you a few metres towards the balcony, before critically looking you up and down.

“Go put on a warm jacket,” he ordered. “No matter how cold it is at the moment, you will be far colder when the wind is whipping around us.”

“Okay!” you exclaimed, scurrying towards your room.

When you had disappeared, the elevator began to make noise. Thor recognised it as the sound of impending ascent and watched, feeling increasingly angry as it drew closer. He couldn’t believe that the others had just gone and left you. They weren’t unkind people, so he had to assume that they just hadn’t been thinking clearly. Despite that, they should have known better. It had… tugged on his heart to see you look that upset.

He heard the muffled ‘ping!’ from inside the elevator and felt his shoulders tense. The doors opened, and next second Steve Roger’s head poked out, peering cautiously around the frame. His eyes focused on Thor and widened in surprise. The god of thunder felt himself deflate slightly upon seeing Captain America. Out of all him teammates, he was probably most fond of the kind leader.

“Thor!” Steve greeted in relief.

He shuffled out of the elevator, holding boxes upon boxes in his arms. He had stacked them as high as he could, but he still had some more that would not stay balanced. Those he shoved out with his feet, careful not to hit them too hard. No one else came out behind him, and Thor relaxed even more. It seemed like Steve had been running errands on his own. You had not been left out as you had feared.

“Is _____ around?” Steve asked, his gaze shifting around nervously.

“She has just gone to her room to fetch her coat,” Thor told him, still somewhat cool. “I’m taking her out. She was rather… upset.”

“Why?” Concern flickered across Steve’s face and he glanced down the hallway you had just vanished down. A frown twisted his features.

“She was under the impression you had all gone out without her.”

“Oh, God!” Steve exclaimed with a groan. He leaned his head forward, forehead pressing into the boxes as he sighed. When he looked up again he met Thor’s eyes earnestly. “We realised that she was really keen on doing a proper Christmas but we didn’t have anything. Tony and Bruce hadn’t even gotten her a present. So Barton had us all split up to go get what we needed before the shops closed. I got decorations, Natasha is getting food, Barton’s getting the tree, and Tony and Bruce are present shopping.”

Thor nodded slowly, comprehending all this. “So you are actually all out trying to make her Christmas wish come true?”

“Of course,” Steve said. “She’s one of us. And just to say, I know you can present her with any fancy jewel in Asgard, but if you do want to get something from the shops they are closing soon.”

Thor shook his head. “I have, uhm, already gotten her a gift.”

Though he tried to mask it, he could feel his discomfort coming through on his face. Thor has never been particularly good at hiding his feelings. Steve watched him, an expression of slight wariness coming on to his features. He recognised Thor’s hesitance.

“What have you got her?” he asked lightly, trying to keep his voice even.

Thor swallowed heavily, but found he couldn’t lie, no matter how awkward it made everything. “She is going to be granted ladyship of Asgard. She will have a place at the royal court, and lands if she chooses.”

Steve’s knuckles tightened on the boxes he was holding, turning them white. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed heavily. Thor could see his chest starting to rise and fall as he breathed in and out deeply. Eventually, he spoke. He sounded ragged as he said the words. “You’re going to try to take her away.”

“I’m going to offer her the chance of a new life,” Thor defended himself. “One where she will be respected and waited upon as she deserves.”

Steve stared at him. Thor saw something he had rarely seen in his eyes before.  _Anger. Resentment._ Both directed at Thor.

“She deserves to be here, around people who love her. Not stuck in some poised court in a land that’s not even her own.”

“I will be there to protect her,” Thor disagreed.

Steve shook his head venomously. It was so out of character for him that Thor felt like he should step back. He shouldn’t have said anything.

Steve closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. He remained like that for a few seconds, before opening them again. Some of the anger seemed to have subsided, and instead was placed by sadness, and another look akin to desperation.

“Please, Thor. You know how I feel about her. How we  _all_  feel about her. Don’t attempt this.”

Thor stared at him, not knowing how to answer. He had never seen his friend plead before, and no one had ever before brought up the fact that they all felt the same way for one woman. He opened his mouth, searching for the words to respond. However, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps padding down the hall.

“Thor!” Your voice rang out happily. “I’m ready! Sorry I took so long, I was trying to find my hat and gloves!”

Steve’s eyes widened in horror, the drama of moments before forgotten. He rushed forward and dropped the boxes of decorations behind the sofa, hidden from your view. He sprang back, picked up the two remaining boxes that he had been kicking and hurled them too. They let out a soft thump as they impacted against the sofa, just as you walked into the room.

“Steve!” you said, not appearing to have noticed the noises. “I thought you had gone out with the others!”

“No!” he exclaimed, rushing forward to grasp you by the elbows. “Thor just explained to me what you thought. How could you think that, ______? How could you think I’d ever just leave you?”

Thor’s eyes narrowed. Steve had decided to play dirty, it seemed. A pre-positioned guilt trip before he could extend his invitation. He didn’t think that Captain America had had it in him.

Thor didn’t say anything though. He did not want a fight, or to be the cause of your upset on Christmas Eve. And you were smiling so widely at Steve as he reassured you he would never go anywhere without you, a small blush creeping across your face. The Captain pulled you into a tight hug, which you returned. Your arms were clasped around his neck, your face pressing against his chest, under his chin.

“Thanks, Steve,” you said shyly when you pulled back. “I’m sorry I freaked out.”

“Never apologised,” he reassured you softly.

Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead. You started in surprise, but didn’t seem unhappy. If anything, your blush grew stronger. You seemed slightly dazed after he pulled away.

“_____?” Thor asked. His voice seemed too loud for the moment.

You blinked and looked at him, as if only remembering he was there.

“Would you still like to go flying?” he enquired, keeping his voice even.

“Oh, definitely!” you agreed. “That is, if you don’t mind being alone, Steve?”

Thor stiffened, turning to look impassively at the super soldier. He knew how this could go. If Steve said he’d rather not be left, then you would stay. You were the kind of person who would easily give up something you wanted to do if it would make someone else unhappy. Thor didn’t like it, but some niggling feeling told him that he might deserve this. After all, there was an unspoken rule between those who doted on you. You did not interfere on anyone else’s time with you, and they would not interfere with yours. Thor trying to encourage your move to Asgard would most definitely qualify as interfering.

Steve stared back at him for a long moment, before shaking his head sadly.

“No,” he replied. “I don’t mind. Go ahead, _____. It’ll be really fun to fly.”

“Alright,” you nodded eagerly. It was all the encouragement you needed. “Come on, Thor! Let’s go!”

You bounded outside to the balcony. Thor lingered, his eyes not quite meeting Steve’s. He felt ashamed now, and didn’t quite know what to say.

In the end he settled for simply saying, “we do not know who she favours. She may not come.”

Steve nodded, remained silent. Thor opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing emerged. Grimacing slightly, he followed you out onto the balcony, just as the lift began to hum again.

 

***

 

Steve could hear the lift rising, but didn’t bother to turn around and look. Instead, he simply watched your smile as Thor strode out onto the balcony after you. You exchange some words that he couldn’t hear, and something the Asgardian said caused you to giggle. Your hand went over your mouth and you looked up at Thor with playful eyes. Steve felt his stomach twist.

He had let you go in the hopes that him it would encourage Thor not to ask you to go. If he could be self-sacrificing, maybe Thor could be too.

The noise from the elevator stopped, and he heard the ding which meant the doors were opening. A heavy clack echoed onto the tiles as someone stepped out.

“Hey, _____ here?” Natasha asked as she stepped into the apartment.

“Just took off with Thor. He’ll keep her busy for a bit.”

“Okay, is anyone else back?”

“Nope, just you and me,” Steve smiled, but it didn’t reached his eyes.

He knew it was only a small chance that you would go with Thor. If they all had an equal chance of being the one you were most fond of, Natasha included, it put the chance of you going at around 16.7%. However, any percent above 0 would have been too high for his liking. If you didn’t reciprocate his feelings it was one thing, he could get over that and still be your friend. But if you left… He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to deal with that.

“Is something wrong?” Natasha could see his inner turmoil, and eyed him suspiciously.

“No,” he replied. He didn’t want to ruin the night for everyone else, and he definitely did not want to start a fight. He would keep the information to himself.

“Alright then,” she shrugged, not willing to push. “Want to help me unpack the groceries?”

“Sure,” he agreed, heaving himself off the sofa.

He followed her towards the kitchen area, stopping to pick up some bags that she couldn’t carry. She opened the fridge and in silence they began to take things out of the bags, and stock the shelves. He could feel her gaze on him but did not meet her sharp green eyes.

“We should call Barton,” he decided. “It’ll be difficult to sneak a whole tree in while she’s here. We need to tell him to just leave it in the storage closet downstairs and we can bring it up during the night.”

“We’re not decorating it though,” Natasha said. “We can all do that together when she wakes up the next morning. I can’t wait to see the look on her face. She’ll be really happy.”

Steve allowed himself to smile. “Yeah, she will be.”

Natasha hoisted the turkey out of the bag, and frowned at it. “Are we meant to start preparing this thing tonight? I feel like we are.”

“Ummm…” Steve trailed off. “I think so, yeah.”

“Okay,” Natasha said. “How?”

“I don’t know. Should we look it up?”

“Probably.”

“Natasha..?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve never cooked a Christmas turkey before.”

“Me neither, Cap. Me neither.”

 

***

 

Manly pride suggested that Clint had to buy the biggest tree he could find. His need to make you happy you ensured it.

It had been two hours, and he had not been able to get that sad look in your eyes out of his head. It was also seriously grating on his nerves that Stark, who constantly flirted with you  _outrageously_ , had just brushed off your disappointment without even noticing. For someone who claimed to genuinely care for you, Clint thought that Tony wasn’t particularly good at making you happy.

Maybe it was just his ego, or the countless girls he had caught leaving Stark’s room early in the morning, but Clint definitely felt he was the better man for you. He always could tell how you were feeling, and above all, he always tried to ensure that you were never sad. That was why he was out there, freezing his ass off, as he headed into the sixth Christmas tree site in order to find the best one.

The trees blotted out everything around him, and all he could see above him was the stars twinkling in the night sky. It was rather peaceful, and though he couldn’t wait to see your face tomorrow when you saw what he had done for you, he rather wished you were there to share this moment with him now.

While on a whole, this was somewhat unusual for him as he liked to be alone, it wasn’t so out of character when it concerned you. He’d always liked time to himself, but after the incident of New York he needed it. Other people felt the need to try coax him out of his silence, to find out what was wrong so that they could try remedy it. You didn’t. You let him be, knowing he needed it. Instead of trying to make him speak, you simply curled up beside him and put your head on his shoulder, opening a book and starting to read silently to yourself. You didn’t speak to him until he spoke to you, just let him know that you were there for him if he needed it.

Those moments, that support, had cemented things for him. Strong feelings had developed. You looked out for him, so he decided he’d look out for you. From then on, Clint had basically taken on the role of guardian angel. It was never anything particularly big. If you said you were craving chocolate, it would randomly appear in the fridge later that day. If you complained that Tony kept the aircon too low and wouldn’t tell anyone the code to heighten it, it would inexplicably be turned up. You had thought that Tony had given in, but he seemed as puzzled as everyone else when it happened. When winter came, there was an extra blanket folded at the end of your bed. When you thanked the maid, she claimed to have no clue how it got there.

It had all been Clint. He didn’t want to come off as weird, he just wanted to make you feel as comfortable as you made him. He didn’t tell you, however, as he wasn’t sure how.  _Hey, did you like the chocolate I left in the fridge for you? Nah. It would just seem weird._ And it wasn’t the recognition he was after, just you being happy.

So when he’d seen you sneaking in and out, gathering presents and singing Christmas songs under your breath, he knew that he had to go and get you something. He figured you’d broach it with Stark first, and that the billionaire would see how keen you were and agree to the idea. He hadn’t expected Tony to not notice and crush your hopes and dreams.

So Clint stepped up into a position he was unaccustomed to, the leadership role. He’d been uncomfortable giving orders, especially to Cap, but he did it for you.

Wandering through the trees, he finally found one that he liked. It was large and full, and he thought it would look perfect in the big living room of Avengers’ Tower. He really couldn’t wait to see your face when you saw it tomorrow. He called out to the guy selling the trees and beckoned him over, pointing to the one that he wanted.

His men got it ready while Clint paid their boss. He clicked a button on the keys and unlocked the boot, which opened at the command. Just as he was about to climb into his car, he saw something else.

A tiny Christmas tree in a plant pot.

“I’ll take that too,” he said, handing over some extra cash.

The guy shrugged and took the money, handing Clint the flower pot. The archer buckled it into the passenger seat of the car, and called Steve. For once, the man had his phone on him and answered quickly.

“Hey,” Clint greeted. “When you got Christmas decorations, did you get any small ones? I mean like tiny ones.”

“Yeah, I got everything. I wasn’t really sure what we needed.”

“Okay. Awesome. Are you back yet?”

“Yeah, me and Natasha. We’re trying to baste a turkey.”

Clint had to laugh. “And how’s that going?”

“Well, we’re following the instructions but we aren’t really sure… Should we wait for you?”

“I live on take-away and microwavable food,” Clint scoffed. “I have no idea how to cook a turkey.”

“Alright,” Steve chuckled. “I guess we just have to hope for the best.”

“_____ isn’t with you, is she? This thing is meant to be a surprise.”

“No… Um, Thor arrived. He took her out flying.”

“Oh. Good,” Clint said. Though he was pleased that you were away so you wouldn’t see their preparations, there was something in Steve’s voice that made him wary.

“Yeah, so see you soon? Oh wait, Natasha told me to tell you to leave the tree in the basement storage room. There’s no way we can hide it from _____ if it’s up in the living area.”

“Sure thing,” Clint replied. “I may just leave it in the car.”

“That works too. See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Clint hung up the call just as the guys finished loading the tree into his car, and he climbed into the He had previously folded the back seats down to make more room, and it was definitely needed. When he got into the car he had branches in his face. It was probably a bit dangerous to drive, but Clint had faith in his abilities. He was pretty observant, to say the least. It was why they called him Hawkeye.

He got back with no incidents. Clint pulled into the underground parking lot of the tower, and climbed out. He stepped into the lift and looked into the iris scanner. After being accepted into the first clearance, he then had to press his thumb against the fingerprint scanner and then state his namely clearly.

“Clint Barton. Hawkeye.”

“Access granted. Welcome, Legolas.” The machine said.

He rolled his eyes, even though he was kind of amused by Stark’s antics. The lift took off, and he tapped his foot impatiently. He wondered if you were back, then figured he’d find out if you were soon enough. The elevator rose for another minute, before opening out into the living room.

“Hey,” he called as he strode out.

He could smell the turkey already, and hoped it wasn’t a dead giveaway. Thankfully, it smelled pretty good. He was glad, he had been slightly worried that Natasha and Steve would ruin it. Steve he had faith in, the man must have had some cooking skills after living on his own after his parents passed. Natasha, however, was by no means a culinary genius.

“Hey,” Natasha called back from the kitchen area, which was just out of view of the lift.

He walked in to find her and Steve standing by the counter, having a glass of wine.

“How’s it going?” he asked as Steve reached over to the counter and passed him a third glass.

“All done, thankfully,” Steve smiled. “Tony and Bruce are back. They’re wrapping their gifts.”

“And _____ and Thor?”

Steve’s smile wavered slightly. He shrugged, and Natasha looked at him in surprise before answering. “Apparently they’re sitting on top of the Statue of Liberty, downing some beers.”

Clint looked at her incredulously.

“She texted me,” Natasha explained. “Said they’d be back in two or three hours.”

“But it’s Christmas Eve,” Clint protested. “We should all be together.”

“She thinks we’re keeping it the same as any other night,” Natasha defended you. “If you really want her back, make up a reason.”

Clint scowled, but made no move to reach into his pocket for his phone. He wouldn’t break the unspoken rule that you did not interrupt anyone else’s time with _____. Even if it was Christmas Eve, and he had gone to seriously great lengths for you tonight. Instead he simply sighed and asked if there was anything else he could do to help.

There wasn’t, so he wandered off to find Bruce and Tony. They were in the lab, tying bows around their already wrapped presents. Both seemed happy and confident with what they had got, so Clint left them be. He returned to Natasha and Steve, who were still on turkey-duty.

After around two hours, Natasha got a text from you saying that you would be back soon, as so they had all sprang into actions. Stark shouted out commands to Jarvis, turning on all the fans in order to get the turkey smell out of the kitchen. It was just in time too, as you arrived back not five minutes later.

Your hair was messed and your face flushed, but you seemed happy and excited. You ran into the Tower, yapping excitedly about how much fun it was to fly and how you were ordered off the Statue of Liberty by the police. Thor had followed you in, a fond look in his eyes as he let you recount the tale. This was incredibly unusual, and he tended to interrupt everyone else.

Despite all the exhilaration, you seemed tired. You yawned loudly as you told stories and answered questions. Bruce was watching you with concerned eyes, and before he could stop himself he piped up.

“You look tired, _____. Why don’t you go to bed?”

You gave him a small smile. “I think I will. It’s been quite a day.”

Clint didn’t miss the way Tony’s mouth twisted downwards at that comment.

You wished them all goodnight, giving each a hug, and then padded down the hall and towards your room. You seemed happy enough, something that the archer was indeed thankful for, but he would have liked to see more of you on Christmas Eve. However, he did have Christmas Day, something he as very much looking forward to now.

They waited for another hour after you went to bed, before they trekked downstairs to retrieve the Christmas tree.

Even though you were floors away they all found themselves whispering just in case. Clint also noticed that Thor and Steve did not make a whole lot of eye contact the entire time. It was unusual, but he did not comment on the matter. If they were having issues it was up to them to sort it out, he wasn’t going to get involved.

While he gave directions, Bruce and Tony were the ones who actually carried the tree from his car and into the lift. It was only fair, seeing as they hadn’t done anything for the team tonight. Natasha kept lookout as they snuck it up into the Tower and positioned it in the living room. Thor and Steve brought the boxes of decorations out from their hiding place behind the sofa and placed them by the tree.

After that they headed into the hallway outside of your room and prepared everything. They put down fake snow, streamers hanging from the ceiling, and tinsel on the walls. There was a lot of hissing as they tried not to wake you up. Luckily, they succeeded.

Once it was all positioned, they reconvened in the living room. The tree stood proudly against the back wall, and they all stepped back to appreciate it.

“Good job, Barton,” Stark acknowledged somewhat gruffly.

Steve nodded in agreement, shooting the archer a wry smile.

Clint didn’t answer, just grinned. He was pretty chuffed with himself. He hoped that you would be too.

“Do we have anything else to do?” Natasha asked.

Clint waited for someone else to answer, but instead they all just looked at him expectantly.

He was the leader in this. They would follow him.

Still not completely used to being the main authority, he shook his head. Everyone turned to look back at the tree, and then at each other.

“Right,” Bruce said. “We may as well get some sleep. We should get up early so we can guarantee we’ll be here when ______ wakes up to see it.”

“Sounds good,” Tony nodded. “You know, guys… This has been fun.”

“It has,” Natasha agreed, and Tony looked a bit shocked that she had just backed him up.

“Alright,” Steve smiled, the first one to break apart from the group. “Let’s go to bed. Goodnight, everyone. Merry Christmas.”

Everyone responded, and for the first time the Avengers wished each other a Merry Christmas. All of them found that they quite liked the warm and fuzzy feeling it gave them. The feeling of having a family to share the holidays with.

One by one, they all left until only Clint and Natasha remained. The archer scuffed his shoes on the ground awkwardly, while his friend fixed him with a pointed stare.

“Why are you lingering?” Natasha asked.

She was always straight to the point.

Clint sighed, not willing to lie to his best friend. “I got her something. Just from me. I didn’t want the others to know about it. I was going to go and get it from my car now.”

“The little Christmas tree,” Natasha nodded knowingly.

Clint looked somewhat surprised. “You saw it?”

She snorted in indignation. “It was sitting there in the front seat. Of course I saw.”

Clint nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. He didn’t mean to be selfish. He had just put in so much effort into all of this he wanted to do something personal for you, something that was just him.

“It’s okay,” Natasha surprised him by saying. Her voice was sincere and kind. “You’ve done so much. No one is going to stop you from having this one small thing.”

For a few moments, Clint digested her words. Then a wry smile crept onto his face. “Thanks, Tasha.”

“No problem,” she shrugged. “My present is still the best anyways, so it’s not like I care. Goodnight, Clint. See you bright and early.”

“Early, but maybe not so bright,” he confirmed with a chuckle.

She winked at him, before strutting off towards her bedroom. Clint watched her go, feeling happy that someone had validated his actions. Humming softly to himself, he walked towards the lift. He got into it, and pushed the button to head back down to the carpark. Once there he retrieved the miniature Christmas tree from his front seat and took it back up with him.

He had to rifle through a few boxes before he came across the tiny decorations Steve had bought. After finding them, he decorated his little tree as nicely as he could. He was pretty pleased with his efforts. It was cute, but not overcrowded.

And then the hard part came. Wandering down the hall, he stood outside you room. Nervously chewing his lip, he eyed the door with trepidation.

He felt slightly like he was invading your privacy, but he thought he would like the end result. He knew the code to your room, and so he punched it in. Red light changed to green, and the door unlocked with a soft click. He crept into the room.

It was dark and you were obviously asleep. He could tell by your rhythmic breathing and lumpy figure in the bed. You had a bench at the end of the bed, and so he placed the little potted Christmas tree upon it. You would see it was soon as you woke up. He was also sure you would know who it was from, seeing as he had left his signature mark in it.

He didn’t wait around, not wanting to creep on you while you were sleeping. He made his way out of the room. However, he knocked into your dresser. It lurched slightly, rocking on the floor. Your breath hitched and he held his own. However, you did not wake up, just murmured slightly and then began to snore once again. Clint let out a huffing laugh at the close call, and then resumed creping towards the door. He twisted the handle and stepped out, closing it quietly behind him. Leaning back on it for a few moments, he took a deep breath.

Surprisingly, it had been a success. The team had managed to pull together and get everything last minute. He had done it. They had done it. Allowing himself to smile, he peeled himself from the doorway and trekked down to his own bedroom.

It was at the opposite side of the corridor, two doors down from yours.

He entered his key code and stepped inside. Kicking off his boots, he yanked his t-shirt over his head and half fell into his bed. It had been a relatively long day and so he was pretty tired. He set his alarm for 7am, knowing that you probably wouldn’t be up before that, and passed out into blissful oblivion.

 

***

 

You were in a relatively good mood when you woke up.

The night with Thor had gone well. He had made you laugh and smile, and you had loved flying. Best of all, the others had not actually left you. Instead they were all out doing separate things. You had felt a bit silly and paranoid after Steve had explained it to you.

Seeing them when you got back had been even better. Natasha had fixed you with her condescending stare at cocked an eyebrow at you. It was unspoken sort of exasperation.  _‘Did you really think we’d leave you?’_

Rolling out of bed, you stretched. Your back cracked and you sighed happily. Glancing at the alarm clock you noticed that it was around 8:30am. Early enough, but you felt like you wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep even if you tried.

Twisting around, it was then that you spotted it. At the bench at the end of your bed, was a little potted Christmas tree. It was tiny, and absolutely gorgeous. Little gold decorations hung from it, and small lights twinkled. You couldn’t believe that you hadn’t noticed it when you woke up. Grinning widely in wonder and happiness, you wandered towards it. A blush crossed your face was you reached out, fingers stroking along the length of the arrow that was embedded in the pot’s soil.

_Clint._

Of course he would know.

Throwing on a dressing gown and slippers, you rushed towards the door. You had to go thank him. You yanked the door open hurriedly, and stepped into the corridor.

Your feet hit something, You looked down and saw red carpet underneath you. There was some kind of white powder on top of it. Your face twisted in confusion as you knelt down and pinched some, rubbing it between your fingers. It must be some kind of fake snow? You didn’t know what else it could be as you seriously doubted that Clint would lace the floors with cocaine.

At that moment, a whirring noise filled the air. Panels in the wall slid down, revealing moving fans. Immediately, the snow began to whirl through the air. It spun around you, causing you to shield your eyes. You peeked out from between your hands and began to laugh with joy. Your arms flew out as you turned in a circle, fake snow spinning in the around you.

Clint couldn’t have done it alone. You knew that much. He was smart, but he didn’t know how operate the fans in the building. Or to have them activated by motion as soon as you left your room. That meant that he had had help.

_Bruce._

_Tony._

It had to be them. Joy swelled inside you as you gazed around again, taking it all in.

The effort that they had gone to was absolutely amazing. You couldn’t believe that anyone would do so much for you.

Tinsel and streamers lined the wall, leading you down the corridor. Fighting against the blizzard, you trekked along the red path laid in front of you. It turned a corner and suddenly the snow was gone. Instead, the carpet was lined on either side by tonnes of candy canes.

It was like something from Alice in Wonderland or the Wizard of Oz.

You had only told two people how much you loved those types of stories.

_Natasha._

_Steve._

Shaking your head, you continued down the path. Pausing to grab a candy cane, you peeled the wrapper off and popped it in your mouth.

Thankfully, it was real and not some plastic counter-part.

You had a good idea now of where the red carpet was leading you, and so you followed it until you reached the space where the hall opened up into the living room. It was warm, and smelled like hot chocolate. Tears welled up in your eyes as you took in the sight in front of you.

All six of them were standing down in the living room. Steve, Bruce, Tony, Natasha, Thor and Clint. They were all watching you as you entered, affection plain in their eyes. A huge Christmas tree stood beside them, towering over everyone. It was undecorated, though a number of presents lay under it.

A moment of silence stretched out, before Tony stepped forward. He was wearing an elf hat, and when your gaze ran down him you noted he even had elf shoes that curled at the end. You would have roared laughing if you hadn’t been so touched by what they’d all done.

“Merry Christmas, ______,” he said softly, smiling.

You tried to speak, but only choked on your words. Instead, you burst into tears. You knew that they had all come together to do this, and you touched beyond words by it.

Bruce rushed forward to comfort you. He took you into his arms, shushing you and rocking you back and forth gently. You grasped his shirt tightly as you sobbed, but managed to pull yourself together after a few minutes. You drew back from him slightly, and he peered down at you to see that you were okay. Smiling gently, he reached up and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe any remaining moisture from under your eyes.

You gave a slightly embarrassed look but then stepped back to survey the rest of the group. They were all watching you with concern. Your eyes fell on Clint, who was in a Santa hat. His blue-green eyes regarded you with worry. You grinned sheepishly, showing them all it was okay.

“Sorry,” you murmured. Looking around at all the decorations, your gaze returned to your teammates once more. “Did you really do all this for me?”

“Yup,” Natasha answered. “Though, to give credit where credit is due, it was mostly Clint.”

Your gaze once more returned to the archer, who coloured slightly and ducked his head in embarrassment. You knew he was unused to the spotlight, and felt oddly teary at the thought that he would brave it for you.

“It was everyone,” he said, brushing off her words in order to give his friends some credit.

It only made his actions more endearing to you.

“Are you ready for presents?” Steve grinned.

“You guys got me presents?”

“Of course. We also made a turkey. It turned out pretty decent, if I do say so myself,” Natasha smiled.

She seemed pretty proud of herself.

A thought suddenly occurred to you and you twisted towards Thor. “Did you know? Is that why you took me out flying?”

The Asgardian hesitated, shooting Steve an awkward glance before answering. “I did know, but I took you out flying because I wanted to share the experience with you.” You didn’t miss the way Steve glanced at the ground. Thor looked troubled. You wondered if something was going on. Before you could ask, the God of Thunder spoke up again. “However, you must excuse me. I forgot your gift in Asgard. I must go retrieve it now. I will be back soon.”

Steve’s eyes widened in surprise, and his head shot up to stare at Thor. Thor held his face impassively for a moment, before giving him a curt nod. Then he moved forward in a sweeping motion and gathered you into his arms. He pressed a lingering kiss to your cheek, before backing away.

“I will return within the hour,” he promised, before turning on his heel and striding out onto the balcony.

You all watched him go, before turning back to one another.

“Want to decorate the tree?” Steve said shyly. He seemed happier than moment’s before. “We waited for you.”

“Sure.” Your grin was so wide you felt that it might split your cheeks.

Descending the steps, you moves up beside him to root through the boxes. Tinsel and ornaments were thrown onto it. Thor returned within half an hour, and was there to decorate it also. After the body was all done, Steve boosted you up, and Thor boosted Natasha as you both placed the star on the tree together. After you were lowered, you found yourself moving back to stand beside Clint. He had been hanging back for the past little while, watching the festivities take place before him. He seemed content to take the back seat once again.

“Hey,” you smiled shyly.

“Hey,” he returned the greeting. “Are you… happy?”

“Yes,” you nodded. “I’m so happy. Thank you so much Clint. And I just want to thank you for everything. You’re always looking out for me.”

“What do you mean?” he said.

You could tell he was feigning ignorance. You smiled and rolled your eyes good-naturedly.

“The chocolate, the air con, the blanket,” you clarified. “All that other stuff as well. I had suspected you. You’re pretty good at pretending not to be listening. I wasn’t sure though, but this just confirmed it. You’re always there, making sure I’m happy and comfortable. I don’t know if anyone’s ever cared like you have.”

You moved towards him slowly, an arm extending to wrap around his waist. He felt himself jerk slightly at the contact, but then calmed himself. His own hand found its way to your waist, resting there as he too put his arm around you. The others did not seem to notice, wrapped up in their bickering over whether or not to change the positioning of the lights on the tree.

“They care,” Clint nodded towards the rest of the team.

You regarded them fondly, eyes filled with love. You had a family. And you were celebrating Christmas with them. It was a dream come true.

“I know they care,” you chuckled, “But still, just take the compliment. You did good, Barton. That little Christmas tree was the nicest touch.”

He struggled with himself for a moment, before shrugging. “Fine, I did good.”

“Good boy,” you ruffled his brown hair, causing him to disentangle himself from you as he swatted your hand away, laughing.

You grabbed onto his arm, smiling as you held it stead in front of you. Something above you caught your eyes, and you looked up to see a mistletoe hanging above you.

“Did you do that?” you asked after a long, awkward pause.

“Nope,” he answered.

Before anything strange could happen, Tony unexpectedly appeared at your side. Grabbing your hand, he whirled you under his arm, pulling you from Clint and the mistletoe and dragging you close.

“Present time, sweetheart,” he smirked, winking at you.

“Okay!” You exclaimed eagerly.

He released you, and you immediately scurried off to your room, eager to present everyone with the gifts you had so meticulously gotten them all.

 

***

 

It was the perfect Christmas.

Natasha and Steve’s turkey was delicious, much to everyone’s shock. Natasha claimed that she should write her own cookbook as a result. Everybody said that it would be a great idea, although they knew that the success had been mostly down to Steve.

Bruce, semi-drunk off eggnog, and Thor, metaphorically drunk on the festive spirit around him, decided to sing karaoke. Everyone expected it to be awful. Surprisingly, their rendition of “Highway to Hell” was pretty good.

The necklace Thor gave you was really nice as well. You figured it was probably the most expensive thing you’d ever own. Even Steve eyed it appreciatively.

Natasha loved the make-up brushes that you gave her, and immediately disappeared in order to reapply her make up with them. You were glad she was so keen, while Tony had rolled his eyes. You had elbowed him pretty hard in the stomach as a result.

Steve and you danced ‘the Twist’ to some old music that had Tony groaning in exasperation. After ten minutes of complaining, however, he figured ‘if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em,’ and soon was rocking out as well.

Speaking of Tony, he teared up ever so slightly upon seeing the collage you had made. You also didn’t miss the way his finger traced your face in the central picture of the two of you on the balcony. However, he claimed that it was simply allergies, and left the room to go “take his antihistamines.”

Clint had stayed pretty quiet throughout the evening, content to enjoy everything unfolding around him. He had loved his gifts, and after all the others had headed to bed that night he had pulled you into the living room with him. You put a pillow onto his lap and lay down, resting your head on it as he turned on the box set you had bought him. His hard, calloused hands were soft as they stroked your hair. After a while he began to sing softly. You eyes had closed, lulled into sleep by his soothing voice.

Soon enough, he nodded off too. The next morning you were found sprawled on his lap, his own head dipping as he slumbered whole still sitting. Somehow, the Santa hat had miraculously stayed on his head.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like it, feel free to hits kudos or comment! You have no idea how much it brightens my day!


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